I swept through the forest like a tornado, quickly knocking down trees in a block of the woods this month. This has opened up the canopy, and will create a thicket for the wildlife to use as cover compared to the surrounding open woods.
Category Archives: Trees
Different Walnuts
I got some nuts of three different Juglans species that I will be planting this spring. I think squirrels wouldn’t mind a few more nut trees growing. From Left to Right: Juglans mandshurica, Juglans hindsii, Juglans cathayensis
Long Forgotten
This Catalpa Tree is on an abandoned homestead. Long gone are the buildings and the people who planted this relic tree.
Shaggy
Always interesting to cross paths with these trees. The Shagbark Hickory(Carya ovata) is native to my part of Iowa and the nuts taste great. One other Hickory is native to here, that is the Bitternut Hickory and I prefer to not eat those nuts.
Baldcypress On Fire
The Baldcypress keeps doing it. Great fall color again this fall. Need to get more of these deciduous conifers.
Nyssa Sylvatica Fall Color
Fall Color of the Blackgum has been good again this fall, as is becoming a common occurrence. . It is a reliable producer of fall color, though grows fairly slow.
Heartnut
There are a few Heartnuts(Juglans ailantifolia) growing here, but the seed source I think is not very hardy. There has been dieback multiple times and only 4 out of 5 are currently alive. This year was the first year that a nut was finally produced. You can see how it got the name Heartnut.
Large Red Oaks
There is only two native Oak species growing in my area. The Bur Oak and the Red Oak both grow here. In general, Bur Oaks can be large or small, there is some scrub genes running through these prairie trees. The Red Oaks seem to all grow to a large size if given enough time.
Thorny Honey Locust
We have a Honey Locust in our yard that is thornless, but out in the wild, I find very thorny Honey Locusts. As long as I don’t touch the tree, I like the look of these trees, just wouldn’t want to try climbing one.
Castor Aralia and Aralia Elata
I am trying a couple different thorny trees that are from Asia. Castor Aralia(Kalopanax pictus) and Japanese Angelica Tree(Aralia elata). Both look very ornamental so far.